A historical self-portrait painted by Sir Arthur Streeton (1867-1943) has been studied with fast-scanning X-ray fluorescence microscopy using synchrotron radiation. One of the technique's unique strengths is the ability to reveal metal distributions in the pigments of underlying brushstrokes, thus providing information critical to the interpretation of a painting. We have applied the nondestructive technique with the event-mode Maia X-ray detector, which has the capability to record elemental maps at megapixels per hour with the full X-ray fluorescence spectrum collected per pixel. The painting poses a difficult challenge to conventional X-ray analysis, because it was completely obscured with heavy brushstrokes of highly X-ray absorptive lead white paint (2PbCO(3)·Pb(OH)(2)) by the artist, making it an excellent candidate for the application of the synchrotron-based technique. The 25 megapixel elemental maps were successfully observed through the lead white paint across the 200 × 300 mm(2) scan area. The sweeping brushstrokes of the lead white overpaint contributed significant detrimental structure to the elemental maps. A corrective procedure was devised to enhance the visualization of the elemental maps by using the elastic X-ray scatter as a proxy for the lead white overpaint. We foresee the technique applied to the most demanding of culturally significant artworks where conventional analytical methods are inadequate.

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High-definition X-ray fluorescence elemental mapping of paintings.

Mobile depth profiling and sub-surface imaging techniques for historical paintings : a review

Preventive thermographic diagnosis of historical buildings for consolidation

Holographic and thermographic techniques have been recently applied in artwork diagnostics for the quantitative evaluation of defect size and depth in laboratory samples of artworks. The aim of this study is a comparison between holographic interferometry (both double exposure and real time), and pulsed thermography (PT) processing techniques such as differential absolute contrast (DAC) and pulsed phase thermography (PPT) for the detection of the subsurface flaws on wooden panel paintings. The performance of holographic techniques can be reserved for investigation of particular defects (cracks, detachments) at incipient stages, where high resolution/sensitivity is required, while PT can provide interesting quantitative results in situ.

Diagnostics of panel paintings using holographic interferometry and pulsed thermography

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-destructive technique that has recently been extensively applied to the investigation of cultural heritage It provides information on the surface and subsurface structure of the artefacts by the analysis of the heat diffusion process within the sample IRT has been successfully applied to the study of historic large structures and buildings most of the time by means of the so-called passive approach, where only the naturally occurring temperature changes in the sample are analysed On the other hand, IRT has also been applied to the study of other art and historic artefact by applying the so-called active method where the thermal stimulation of the sample is required In this article, an overview of the applications of active thermography to the investigation of art and historic artefacts will be presented and discussed

Francesca Bettini

Papers

Integrated reflectography and thermography for wooden paintings diagnostics